Everglade: The Underaged

Chapter 9

What am I going to do?" Luke asked his Griffin for what felt like the hundredth time. She just chirruped. He looked at her.

"You still need a name, don't you?" He said. She yipped. His eyes wandered to the mark on her forehead. It looked like what a solar eclipse did. "How about Solar?" she growled. "Okay. Dark Moon?" she growled again. "No? What about Eclipse?" she bounced happily. "Okay, Eclipse it is." Eclipse nuzzled her head against him. He heard a tiny gurgling noise. It was Eclipse's stomach. He went to the meat barrel he had to feed Eclipse and grabbed a chicken leg. In the past few hours, Eclipse had grown two times her original size. It was to be expected though, Griffins grew faster than Dragons, and they got twice as hungry. He grabbed a second chicken leg, just in case. Eclipse ate both chicken legs. Her stomach still growled. Luke sighed.

"You're a real bottomless pit." He said. Eclipse just puffed out her chest proudly. Luke gave her more food. The room got dimmer. Luke looked outside. There was a solar eclipse.

"Look, Eclipse, it's your namesake." Luke said to her with a laugh. Luke stepped out onto his balcony.

"Hey, Luke!" Luke looked to where the voice came from. It was Korman.

"Hey, Korman!"

"Come down here!" Luke went outside and met Korman.

"I saw Baron Donnelly storm out of the manor a while ago."

"He was supposed to train me, but he saw how young I was and refused."

"Oh. That's not good."

"I don't know what I'm going to do. There's no one else who can train me."

"I hope I don't run into that problem. No offence."

"You won't be too young."

"We don't know that." Eclipse suddenly landed on Luke's shoulder. Luke grunted. He had left her in his room, because he didn't know how she would act outside. She must have jumped off of the balcony.

"Is that your Griffin?" Koran asked.

"Yeah, she was supposed to stay in my room." Luke replied, giving Eclipse a scolding look. She gave him the stink-eye.

"What's her name?"

"Eclipse."

"That's cool!"

"I named her after the black circle on her forehead."

"It does look like an eclipse."

"I know right?"

"Luke! There you are! I've been looking for you!" Luke turned around and saw Isabella walking toward them. "Father wants you in his study."

"Alright. Be right back Korman." By now, Luke knew the way to the Earl's study pretty well. He'd been there three times now. He found his way with no problems. He knocked on the door.

"Come in." The Earl called. Luke walked in. "Luke, I believe I've found a solution to your training problem."

"Really?"

"Yes. Fathers can choose to train their sons in their powers if they had received an egg at age 15."

"But, I'm an orphan."

"Not if you get adopted."

"Who would want to adopt me? I'm the orphan who stole someone else's chance at getting an egg."

"Anita and I want to adopt you."

"But if you adopt me I'd become your hier, I'm not sure people want that."

"I'll deal with them. What do you say?"

"Yes!" Luke ran out to tell Korman and Isabella the news.

"Korman! I'm going to be adopted by the Earl!"

"What?! That's so cool!" Korman replied.

"That would make you my brother, and Father's hier." Isabella said.

"Is there something wrong with that?"

"No, I couldn't succeed father, I'm a girl. He was going to have to find someone to choose as his successor. Besides, you'll make a great Earl."

"Wait, Luke is going to be Earl if he gets adopted by the current Earl?" Korman said.

"After Father dies, yes."

"That's really super cool! Do I have to start calling you Viscount Everglade?

"No. Not if I don't want you to."

"Oh, good." Korman gave him one of his famous Korman grins.